Vehicle battery circuit breaker



Nov. 11, 1958 R. E. MCNAMARA 6 VEHICLE BATTERY CIRCUIT BREAKER Filed Dec. 13, 1956 United States Patent ()fitice 2,860,213 Patented Nov. 11, 1958 2,860,213 VEHICLE BATTERY CIRCUIT BREAKER Russell E. McNamara, Riverside, Ontario, Canada Application December 13, 1956, Serial N 0. 628,121

7 Claims. (Cl. 200-461) This invention relates to a switch and more particularly to a circuit breaker arrangement for disconnecting the battery of an automotive vehicle from the remainder of the electrical circuit of the vehicle.

Electrical systems of automotive vehicles sometime develop short circuits which are extremely difficult to locate without considerable work and expense. When such short circuits develop, it is not unusual for the vehicle battery to run down completely it the vehicle is left standing for a considerable length of time; for example, overnight or for a day or two. This problem of short circuits which are difificult to locate is a very annoying one.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel, inexpensive and conveniently operable arrangement for disconnecting the battery from the remainder of the electrical circuit of the vehicle during periods of non-use of the vehicle so that the possibility of the battery being discharged by reason of a short circuit is eliminated.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view partly in section showing the arrangement of the present invention as installed on an automotive vehicle, the switch member being shown in the closed condition.

Fig. 2 shows the switch member in open position.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view along the lines 3--3 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view along the line 44 in Fig. 1 and showing the details of construction of the switch member.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view along the lines.5--5 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view along the lines 66 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken in the plane of lines 5-5 in Fig. 1 with the actuator knob in the retracted position.

In Fig. 1, the dash panel of an automotive vehicle is shown at 10 and the battery of a vehicle is designated 12. The battery is provided with a pair of terminal posts, one of which is shown at 14. The electrical system of the vehicle includes a battery lead cable 16. When the cable 16 is electrically connected with post 14, the electrical system of thevehicle is conditioned for operation; and when the cable 16 is electrically disconnected from post 14, no current can flow through at least that portion of the electrical system of the vehicle that is fed by cable 16.

The present invention provides a means for enabling the operator of the vehicle to readily electrically connect and disconnect cable 16 from terminal posts 14. This arrangement includes a bracket 18 having a horizontally disposed leg 2'0 and a vertically disposed leg 22. At the free end of the horizontally disposed leg 20, bracket 18 is fashioned with an arcuately shaped strap portion 24 which cooperates with a strap 26 to define a cylindrical socket 28 for receiving post 14. Leg 20 of bracket 18 is fashioned with a recess 30 in which one end of strap 26 is received to hingedly connect strap 26 with bracket 18.

The adjacent ends of strap portion 24 and strap 26 are 32 may be inserted. The arrangement is such that the strap portion 24 and strap 26 can be brought into tight gripping relation with post 14 by tightening a nut 34 on screw 32.

The vertically disposed leg 22 of bracket 18 is provided with a central aperture 36 which slidably supports a switch member 38. Switch member 38 includes a cylindrical plunger portion 40 at one end, an intermediate contact disc 42 and a threaded portion 44 at its other end. The portions 40, 42 and 44 are preferably fashioned from a single piece of electrically conducting material such as brass or the like. A sleeve 46 formed of insulating material surrounds the plunger portion 40 and has a nice sliding fit in the central aperture 36 in the vertical leg 22 of bracket 18. A compression spring 48 has one end abutting against a face of the vertically disposed leg 22 and its other end against a washer 50 formed of insulating material and retained on sleeve 46 by means of a cotter pin 52. Spring 48, it will be observed, normally biases switch member 38 in a direction toward the left as viewed in Figs. 1, 2 and 4 so that contact disc 42 abuts against the face of the vertically disposed leg 22 of bracket 18. A terminal fitting 54 secured to the end of cable 16 is arranged on the threaded end portion 44 of switch member 38 and held in a tightly clamped condition against contact disc 42 by means of a nut 56 on the threaded end portion 44. Thus, with this arrangement, with the parts shown in the positions of Figs. 1 and 4, lead cable 16 is electrically connected to post 14; and with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 2, cable 16 is electrically disconnected from post 14.

The present invention provides a simple and conveniently operated means for moving switch member 38 to effect the make and break of the electrical circuit between cable 16 and post 14. These means include a cylindrical plunger 58 slidably arranged within a bushing 60 and provided with a handgrip knob 62 at one end thereof. Bushing 60 is arranged to be inserted through an opening 64 in the dash panel 12 and is held in clamped relation therewith by means of a nut 66 on a threaded portion 68 of the bushing. A wire 70 is connected at one end to the inner end of plunger 58 and has its opposite end secured to a connector 72 by means of a set screw 74. Connector 72 is formed of insulating material such as plastic. At one end, connector 72 is fashioned with a bifurcation 76 for receiving one eye 78 of a swivel connector 80. A pin 82 passing through bifurcation 76 and the eye 78 connects the swivel connector with the insulator connector 72. The other eye 84 of swivel connector 80 receives a hook 86 that connects with the end of threaded portion 44 of switch member 38 as at 88.

With the above arrangement, it will be appreciated that when knob 62 is pulled in a direction away from dash panel 12, electrical contact between cable 16 and terminal post 14 is broken; and when knob 62 moves in a direction toward the dash panel 12 under the influence of compression spring 48, electrical contact between cable 16 and terminal post 14 is established. Spring 48 is of relatively heavy construction so that good electrical contact is insured between the adjacent faces of the vertical leg 22 of bracket 18 and contact disc 42. in order to provide a means for holding contact disc 42 out of contact with the vertical leg 22 of post 18 against the bias of spring 48, plunger 58 is provided with a transverse slot 90; and the inner end of bushing 60 is fashioned with a circumferential groove 92. At one sidethereof, groove 92 is cut through the cylindrical wall of bushing 60 as at 94. A spring retainer ring 96 is arranged in circumferential groove 92 and is fashioned with a flat portion 98 which is located adjacent the cut-away portion 94 of groove 92.

Spring retainer ring 96 is designed to normally circurnferentially contract itself in groove 92 with its free ends spaced apart as at 100. When knob 62 is retracted, the fiat portion 98 of retainer ring 96 snaps into slot 90 in plunger 58 when the slot 90 registers with groove 92. In this position of the parts, which position is shown in Fig. 7, interengagement of spring retainer ring 96 with slot 90 maintains contact disc 42 spaced from the vertical leg 22 of bracket 18 against the bias of spring 48 as shown in Fig. 2. With the parts in this position, the battery terminal post 1 is effectively disconnected with the lead cable 16; and there is no chance for any short in the circuit of cable 16 to discharge the battery.

Thus, when the operator parks the car for any length of time, such as overnight, he. would simply pull knob 62 outwardly and thus effectively disconnect the battery of the vehicle from the electrical system of the vehicle. When it is desired to reestablish electrical connection between the battery of the vehicle and the electrical system, it is merely necessary to rotate knob 62 so that the flat portion @8 of retainer ring 92 is cammed radially outwardly of slot 90 by one of the corner portions 102. When this occurs, spring 4-8 takes over and snaps contact disc 42 against the vertical leg 22 of bracket 18. It will be noted that the swivel connector 30 enables knob 62 to be rotated freely.

On vehicles provided with clocks that are electrically operated, it would not be desirable to disconnect the clock when the battery of the vehicle is disconnected from the remainder of the electrical system of the vehicle. Thus, bracket 18 is fashioned with a lug 104 in which screws 106 are threaded. Conductors from an electric clock and other accessories which are not desired to be disconnected from the battery at any time can be electrically connected to bracket 18 by means of screws 106.

Thus, it will be seen that I have provided a simply constructed but very effective means for positively disconnecting the battery from the electrical system of an automotive vehicle when desired so that if the vehicle is permitted to stand for any lengthy period of time, the possibility of the battery becoming discharged by reason of a short in the electrical circuit is entirely eliminated. In addition, it will be appreciated that the invention here not only eliminates the possibility of the battery becoming discharged by reason of a short in the electrical circuit, but equally important is the fact that by providing a convenient means for disconnecting the battery from the rest of the electrical circuit, the danger of fires and explosions in automotive vehicles is also materially reduced. Statistics will show that of the number of automotive vehicle fires, a majority of them are caused by shorts in the electrical circuit.

I claim:

1. A battery circuit breaker for an automotive vehicle comprising a bracket formed with a socket adapted to receive the terminal post of the vehicle battery, a switch member mounted for rectilinear movement on said bracket, said switch member including a contact piece adapted to be connected with the electrical system of the vehicle, said contact piece moving out of electrical contact with said bracket when the switch member is moved in one direction and moving into electrical contact with a portion of said bracket when the switch member is moved in the opposite direction, means adapted to be mounted on the dash panel of the vehicle for actuating said switch member, means including an insulator connector forming an operative connection between said actuating means and said switch member and a spring for biasing said switch member in a direction tending to bring said contact piece into contact with said portion of said bracket, said actuating means comprising a push-pull knob and a spring detent engageable with said push-pull knob to hold said push-pull knob in such position that said contact piece is out of electrical contact with said bracket, and a bushing in which said push-pull knob is axially slidable,

push-pull knob having a recess therein with which said spring detent is arranged to engage when the push-pull knob is moved to a position wherein said recess registers with said spring detent, said push-pull knob being rotatable in said bushing to disengage said spring detent from said recess and thereby permit said contact piece to move into electrical contact with said portion of said bracket under the influence of said spring.

2. A circuit breaker as called for in claim'l wherein said means forming an operative connection between said switch member and said push-pull knob includes a swivel connector.

3. A battery circuit breaker for an automotive vehicle comprising a rigid bracket having a socket adapted to receive the terminal post of the vehicle battery, said bracket having an aperture therein, a switch member having a cylindrical portion axially slidable in said aperture, said switch member being formed of an electrically conductive material and including a sleeve formed of insulating material surrounding said cylindrical portion of said switch member and arranged to prevent electrical contact between said bracket and said cylindrical portion of said switch member, said switch member including a flange portion adapted to contact a portion of said bracket surrounding said aperture when the switch member is disposed in one position on said bracket, said switch merry her being slidably arranged in said aperture to move said flange portion out of contact with said bracket, means for electrically connecting said flange portion with the electrical system of the vehicle and means for axially moving said cylindrical portion of said switch member between said two positions.

4. A circuit breaker as called for in claim 3 wherein said last mentioned means includes a control member adapted to be mounted on the dash panel of the vehicle and means including an insulator connector forming ,an operative connection between said control member and said switch member.

5. A battery circuit breaker for an automotive vehicle comprising a bracket formed of an electrically conductive material with a socket adapted to receive the terminal post of the vehicle battery, a switch member movably mounted on said bracket, said switch member including a contact piece adapted to be connected with the electrical system of the vehicle, said contact piece moving out of electrical contact with said bracket when the switch member is moved in one direction and moving into electrical contact with a portion of said bracket when the switch member is moved in the opposite direction, a pushpull knob adapted to be mounted on the dash panel of the vehicle, said push-pull knob having a recess therein, a spring detent engageable with the recess in said pushpull knob to hold said push-pull knob in one position, means interconnecting said push-pull knob with said switch member for operating the switch member in response to actuation of the push-pull knob, spring means for biasing said switch member in a direction tending to bring said contact piece into contact with said portion of said bracket, said push-pull knob, when the spring detent is interengaged with the recess therein, acting against said spring means for holding said contact piece out of contact with said portion of the bracket, means supporting said push-pull knob for rotation as well as axial movement thereon, said push-pull knob being rotatable on said support to disengage said spring detent from said recess and thereby permit said contact piece to move into electrical contact with said portion of said bracket under the influence of said spring.

' 6. A battery circuit breaker for an automotive vehicle comprising a bracket formed of an electrically conductive material with a socket therein adapted to receive the terminal post of the vehicle battery, said bracket'havng an aperture therein, a switch member having a cylindrical portion axially slidable in said aperture, said cylindrical portion being formed of an insulating material,

said switch member including a flange .portion formed of an electrically conductive material, said flange portion being adapted to contact a portion of the brackets surrounding said aperture when the switch member is disposed in one position on said bracket, means for electrically connecting said flange portion with the electrical system of the vehicle and means for axially moving said cylindrical portion of the switch member to bring said flange portion into and out of contact with said bracket.

7. A circuit breaker as called for in claim 6 wherein said switch member has a connection portion in electrical contact with said flange portion, said last mentioned means comprising an actuating member adapted to be mounted on the dash panel of the vehicle and an operatmember being interconnected by a link formed of an electrically insulative material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 23,833 Lessard June 1, 1954 1,339,811 Dolrick May 11, 1920 1,995,946 Schild Mar. 26, 1935 

